Well, easy enough.
They´ve had enough time and a big, active team to develop this.
Appart from "copying" the idea, which is completely normal in almost every industry in the world, they simply were lucky that Nevrax did go down and so coudn´t take the claim anymore.
But yes, it´s a sad thing to see others take credit for this idea.
And don´t think those that built the RING in the first place will take it lightly.
*sigh*
And mind you, I´m sure this System´s got its fair share of bugs too, only their´re keeping quite to the press about it.
And well, it seems that COH/V Players are a bit more willing to built their own content.
Which, apart from those bugs that are there, was and still is a major hindrance to the RING.
Given enough time and players that use it (and report bugs) it may still be useful some day.
I at least hope so!
Edit: *giggle*
I just logged into CoV to take a look at the system and read the following message on screen:
"
Emergency Server Maintenance..... regarding issues with Architect Entertainment Studios." So, not such a smooth start after all.
Edit II:
After having it desribed to me by an NPC (Good Idea, should be taken up by our guys
)
I tried to make up a so called Story on the fly.
You may add up to 5 "Missions" to a Story (i.e. a Questline)
You can choose from set NPCs already used in the Game, or can create new ones as Contacts to start the mission.
You can choose settings, like cave, flat, tech complex, etc as places to set your story in.
You can choose whether the system shall generate a random "map" (i. e. a labyrinth) out of your chosen setting, or you can place fixed tiles on a dark map to create your own maze to wander through.
You can choose from already existing "villainous", or "hero" NPC groups to place them as enemies in your setting, either at random or self placed. By placing dots on the map.
You can create a "souvenir", which is in fact nothing but a note in the mission locks of participants, to remember your Story by.
You may choose who may enter the Story and whether its "neutral", "hero", or "Villans" based themed.
And all this is done via a text interface, with drop down menus and "write your text here" interfaces. The NPCs may speak your own texts of course.
It´s pretty easy, but extremely limited in choices and still of the same mold of "Missions" you´ll do in active gameplay.
Which I personally find extremely boring. And I truly hope that some creative soul may find a way to have his "story" not as stupendous as those InGame.
Thats about it.
(The created Stories, will be saved to a special Story Server, where your NPC-Contacts are placed in the existing landscape, or your missions replace those of existing NPCs , you enter it through a special portal.
Nice Idea too.)
My first impression: It´s nothing like the freedom the RING has to offer. Get rid of the Bugs in it and it will stomp COV/Hs system into the mud!
CU
Acridiel
.